


4. Human Shield

by blazingstar29



Series: Whumptober 2019 [4]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Fever, Human shield, Hurt Merlin (Merlin), Protective Merlin, Sick Merlin (Merlin), Whumptober 2019, dragon lord
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-21 05:22:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21294239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blazingstar29/pseuds/blazingstar29
Summary: Arthur Pendragon's head will fetch a pretty penny, Merlin will not let that happen.
Relationships: Knights of the Round Table/Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Whumptober 2019 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1498652
Kudos: 170





	4. Human Shield

4  
Human Shield 

Arthur Pendragon’s head will fetch a pretty penny. Merlin won’t let that happen. 

The bandits overpowered them three days ago, ever since Merlin and Arthur had walked, run and stumbled behind the horses they were shackled to. The bandits were sure to let them know where they were going and why.

A camp of rouge druids had called for Arthur’s head in payment for all those that had been killed under Uther’s rule. Arthur, for all his indignance at Ben g kidnaped had quietly accepted his oncoming death. He had flared at death many times; it was a feeling he is accustomed to. 

Merlin however was not ready to let The Once and Future King who will unite the lands of Albion die. Not today. 

As the sun was beginning it’s decent to the horizon, they came to the Druid camp. There, they were met with a tall man with auburn hair. A chunky gold pendant hung around his neck, beside him was a man with a sharo axe.

“Arthur Pendragon and his measly manservant,” the man sniggered circling the pair who had been pushed to their knees. 

With a renewed defiant glint in his eye Arthur looked back at the man, “you are in the land of Camelot. You are under my jurisdiction as King. You are committing treason to the throne!”

“The throne killed our kind, binging us to the brink of extinction!” He yelled down at Arthur. “I am Talon!” 

“Pretty sure that’s the things eagles have,” Merlin muttered. Arthur cast him a sharp look. However, Talon was now attentive to Merlin.

“Your brave for a Servant. Tell me boy, why do you care for the king?” Talon leered down at him.

Merlin scoffed quietly, “I don’t, I only care for his bloody armour.” Talon laughed, his shoulders shaking. 

“We’ll keep this one!”

The man in a black cloak stepped forward. His axe swivelled in his hand; his intent was to kill. 

Then, like the heavens opened dozens of red cloaked knights flooded into the camp on horseback. The Druids reached for their weapons and counterattacked.  
Amidst the chaos Arthur got to his knees and dragged Merlin up. He held Merlin’s shoulder tight with a shackled hand. 

Leon rushed up to them, sword raised and instantly slicing through the cuffs, “Sire, are you all right?”

“Never better Sir Leon now let’s get out of here,” Arthur said firmly. It was only because Merlin saw behind him before he ran after the two knights that he saw the executioner charging after Arthur. 

On instinct Merlin leaped and brought him and Arthur down to the ground as the axe made contact with Merlin’s shoulder. A pained gasp brought Arthur’s attention to his servant. 

“Merlin!” He shouted rolling Merlin over.

“Sire! We must leave now!” Leon urged forcefully as he parried another attempt from the executioner.

“No! Not without Merlin!” Arthur yelled pulling Merlin close.

Leon dealt a mortal blow to the man and turned to Arthur, “you are a dollophead! Gwaine and Merlin will be right behind us, now come on!” He ordered, grabbing Arthur’s arm and pulling him up. Almost immediately Gwaine swooped down and hauled Merlin over his shoulder. 

They made it over a few of the ridges before the knights re-joined them. They all flocked to the king awaiting his order. Overwhelmed Arthur briefly forgot the limp shape Gwaine was tending to. 

As he was looking around for something to lend him a voice Arthur made eye contact with Gwaine, the worry gave him his words.

“Merlin is injured! He was struck by an axe saving me,” he said firmly. Purposefully Leon opened up a small leather pouch full of medical supplies. With Gwaine’s help they sat Merlin up and removed his coat and shirt. Alongside the fresh wound were old scars spanning from a few centimetres to inches in length. The enormity of the risk Merlin took every time he set out with the Knights was plentiful. He had no armour, just an ordinary sword to protect himself. 

The knights propped Merlin’s head against Gwaine’s shoulder. The gash started at his shoulder blade and slithered down to his waist. The blood smeared all over his back. Carefully Leon did his best to stitch the wound closed, however the knight was just that. He was not a healer, so the stitches were uneven, but they held. 

-  
The blood loss kept Merlin unconscious for a few hours as the knights rested. Gwaine sat by him and tried to fix the servants coat and shirt from the holes where the blade struck him. The knight cursed his thick fingers as he stitched the holes up. 

He kept up a one sided concretisation with Merlin, occasionally he would get a groan of pain in response. When this happened, he would feel the servant’s forehead for a fever. By some mercy a fever never came around, but exhaustion still played the young man.

“How is he?” Arthur asked kneeling beside him.

Gwaine turned and looked at the king grimly, “we must leave before first light. I’m not sure how long he will go without infection, the wound is to dirty to for him to be clean of illness much longer.”

“He should never have been there, he’s a person not a human shield,” Arthur berated himself.

“Rest my lord, we all need it,” was all Gwaine said. 

-

Long after the fire burnt out, Merlin stirred. The infection had set in and the fever had his mind twisted inside out.

“Dragon!” He called. Without realising Merlin began summoning Kilgharrah, the call was born out of fear as he hallucinated. Merlin thrashed and twisted himself to his feet, narrowly missing Gwaine’s sleeping shape. However, his noise did not fail rouse the Knight. Immediately noticing Merlin was up and about Gwaine awoke Arthur and Leon. 

“Merlin’s ill, he’s walking around muttering,” he explained as they went to wrangle Merlin. As Arthur came to Merlin’s shoulder a dragon descended to the earth. Merlin bounded forward still yelling.

A cold weight dropped in Arthur’s gut, “he’s a dragon lord!” The other two knights stiffened at the declaration. 

“Arthur, we have no reason to believe Merlin would hurt any of us,” Leon warned. He had been told of Dragon Lords who used their powers for good.”

“Arthur Pendragon, King of Camelot. I entrust that you will guide your manservant back to his post, and ensure his wellbeing is taken into account. Merlin’s needs go beyond what I can do.” Arthur nodded dumbly, as the great beast expanded its wings and graced the sky’s once more. The three men shared a look, one day they would speak to Merlin of this. But not today, not now.


End file.
